Friday, February 22, 2008

Communal action in Ateneo de Davao

Ateneo de Davao University held its "communal action" for truth this afternoon. 'Twas a bit of a surprise for me as I didn't pay attention to the announcements. Nevertheless, I caught it on time.

We started with a small rally on Roxas Avenue; Fr. Albert Alejo read a statement from the Ateneo de Davao community (text to follow). After that, we had a Mass in the covered court. Following Mass, we went back outside to light candles and pray together.

Like most people, I suppose, I was dismayed by what I thought was an ambiguous and non-commital stance from the CBCP. This afternoon's event showed me why. "Communal action" is just that: it's up to the community to decide what to do and how to do it, and mayhaps come to the light. I believe now that the bishops simply do not trust their own judgment on these complex issues, and hence their generic admonition. As Jesus once said: demons like these can only be cast out with fasting and prayer.

And, like most things Catholic, "communal action" can only be understood in the doing.

I was a little dismayed with the small turnout early on. But that led to another truth. For the longest time, we Filipinos have used sheer numbers as the barometer of the truth. That's the weapon that is now being used against us in Congress and elsewhere. Truth, however, is not something you vote on:

Even if only one man says that 1+1=2, whereas a hundred million million say that it is 1+1=3, it is that one man would be saying the truth.